Taking over someone’s lease can be a great way to save money, get a shorter lease, or just find a new way to find inventory.
If you are considering taking over someone’s lease, please keep in mind these 3 tips. (Note that our founder discusses these 3 tips in a video posted here on Tiktok)
- NO PAINT AND CLEANING?
Note that when someone is breaking their lease, the landlord may not do its normal “painting and cleaning” job for the “takeover” tenant (you). This often comes as a surprise to someone who is taking over a lease, or worse, it is a point of contention between the current and new tenant. So, if you are taking over a lease, we suggest you confirm who will be responsible for the painting (if needed) and cleaning of the apartment before you move in. - RENEWAL RATE?
You may want to stay longer after you finish out the term of the lease. This is often the case especially when the prior tenant perhaps only had a few months remaining on the lease when you took it over. We suggest you do your best to have some idea what the renewal rate would be. If possible, you can try to get it in writing from the landlord and agree to a rate in advance. - NEGOTIATE A 12 MONTH LEASE THAT STARTS NOW
If you want to stay even longer than the remaining months on the lease (at least 12 months) why not try to negotiate a more traditional 12 month lease right away? This is something you can try and many landlords could be open to it. This could benefit you economically, especially in a rising rent environment. This could mean that the initial price is a little higher since you are no longer just paying for the remaining months on an older lease. However, it still may be cheaper overall than having to renegotiate the 12 month lease in a few months when rents are higher.
Leasebreak
Shorter Leases, More Flexibility